Its been dead all day. I can fit you in on Thursday.
Im tied up till after lunch. Its been one thing after another.
Ive been on the go all day. Weve been rushed off our feet!
1. Everythings gone wrong today, hasnt it? Yes...
2. Shall we go for a drink after work? No, thanks. Im tired. ...
3. So, is Wednesday a good day for you? - No, but ..
4. Have you had many customers today? No, ...
5. Youve had a lot of customers in this morning, havent you? Yes, .
6. Can I talk to you about a problem thats just come up? Sorry, ...
Use the following expressions in the sentences below.
a steady job a short-list
in the pipeline the top of the tree
a dead-end job a new branch
1. Imagine just putting letters in envelopes all day. What a !
2. Its going to be a busy years for us. Weve got two major projects to finish and an even bigger one ..
3. Marks and Spencers are opening in town next summer.
4. I just had a really good job interview. Im on . of five.
5. Where is there to go once youve reached ..?
6. A lot of people are happy with .. even if it is not very interesting. The main thing is the security it offers.
Use expressions from the box in the correct form in the following situations, connected with climbing the career ladder.
| Breathe down my neck, land a great job, find your feet, hold a job down, standing in for him, take on staff, climb the career ladder, go over his head |
1. Do you think its worth me doing a part-time MBA? Its a lot of work. It depends how much you want to ..
2. My new jobs OK but there are lots of things Im still not used to. Thats normal. It always takes a few months before you really
3. I suppose your busiest time is around Christmas, isnt it? Yes, we always .. extra . just for that period.
4. Are you working late again tonight? Im afraid so. Peters for last months sales figures.
5. Im going to have a word with Jack and try to change my holidays. Jacks on a coarse this week and Marie is ., so youd better wait till he gets back. You know what she is like!
6. You know Franks not going to put your idea on the agenda for tomorrows meeting, dont you? Isnt he? In that case Ill have to and talk to his head of department.
7. I bumped into Paul last week. Hes just started a new job selling insurance. I wonder how long thatll last. He cant .. for longer than six months.
8. Wheres Andrew working nowadays? Havent you heard? Hes
just ..a great .. with that new American bank
in the City.
Read the text below. It is part of the introduction to a report. The report has been prepared by a company which is considering employing a team of specialists to reduce accident and sickness rates in the company. For each gap (1-10), write one appropriate word.
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Concern has been expressed at various levels in our company at the rate of absenteeism (1).. to injury and ill health in our company, which is well above the industry average. Accidents can be caused by the lack of appropriate protective clothing such as helmets and safety glasses, as well as by other factors. The Employers Federation has suggested that we have an ergonomic audit to ascertain the causes and apply solutions.
Ergonomics is a science (2) is concerned with physical and environmental conditions of work and (3) .. these conditions can be improved. Ergonomists study how people do their work. In other words, they analyze the physical relationship (4) . a person and the machine or tool he or she is working with, the movements and body position used, the design and layout of an office or work station, the lightning and environmental conditions, and so on. (5) . Designing solutions, the underlying ideas is to fit the job to the person (6) than the person to the job. Good design, achieved (7) . the application of ergonomics, enhances the safety of tools, machines, job tasks and the working environment. (8) .. only does this lead to a reduction in the number of work-related accidents, it also (9) . in better worker health, improved worker morale, increased efficiency and (10) .. productivity on the job.
The report that follows examines why we need to employ a team of ergonomists, describes in detail the options available and assesses the long-term implications for the company. The report concludes that substantial improvements can be made in terms of productivity, staff morale and estimated long-term savings.
Over to you.
● How important are health and safety at work? Which jobs have the highest risks? What do you know about the health and safety risks in the jobs of your choice?
E. Creative Consolidation
Case Study
| A. You have a highly infectious virus, but there is an important meeting programmed, and for a number of reasons, you are worried about your job. Would you go to work? |
| B. Specialists often talk of tailoring individuals needs and abilities to the operational needs of the store. For management positions, do you think the job or task should be adapted to the person who does it, or should the individual employee adapt to the needs of the job? |
| C. You have discovered that your favourite restaurant is employing illegal immigrant workers and paying them under the minimum rates for extremely long hours. Would you stop going there to eat? Give your reasons. Would you undertake any steps to change the situation? |
| D. You have an inside information that shoes in the shop where you are a loyal patron are made by young children. Would you still buy shoes there? |
Project-Making
An international convention is being held to look at occupational health and safety. You have been sent to the convention to present a case study, in which the advice of ergonomists contributed to significant improvements in occupational health and substantial savings for your company. In the presentation you will be expected to name /describe:
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the industry or sector;
the problem and how it was diagnosed;
the measures taken;
the results and any future plans.
You may start like this:
Ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to describe the impact that a study by a group of ergonomists has had on our company, its productivity, staff morale and our future. We knew that there was an unusually high incidence of absenteeism related to illness. What we didnt know was the effect preventive measures could and would have.
Raise the Issue
➢ Do you think people from certain culture would favour one kind of organizational structure over another? Can you think of some examples and give reasons?
A. Words in Context
1. Tick the word closest in meaning to that of the each boldfaced word. Use the context of the sentences to help you figure out each words meaning.
accord (v) Their achievement has not always been accorded the recognition it deserves.
Accord means a. give b. stop c. praise
ascertain (v) Experts were unable to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Ascertain means a. to find out b. to finish c. to say
command (v) He commands great respect of everyone who works for him.
Command means a. comment b. get c. come
despondent (adj) Devon becomes despondent too easily. If he
gets even one bad grade, he loses all hope of succeeding in school.
Despondent means a. ill b. depressed c. angry
hierarchy (n) Pam soon learned that all requests and suggestions had to be passed up through the levels of the company hierarchy. She could communicate directly with her own boss, but not with the bosss boss let alone the company president.
Hierarchy means a. a ranked system b. a training system
c. a large system
intuition (n) I paint by intuition, the artist said. In a flash, I see how a work should look. I dont really think it out.
Intuition means a. careful study b. memory c. instinct
resist (v) He was unable to resist the temptation of sneaking into classified documents.
Resist means a. oppose b. experience c. reserve
resort (v) I think we can solve the problem without resorting to legal action.
Resort means a. to implement b. to settle c. to respect
subordinate (adj) The company director is subordinate only to the board of directors. She takes orders from the board, and only the board can fire her.
Subordinate means a. lower than b. a substitute for c. superior to
